https://leader.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=2531209Temporary Hearing Loss Lessens With Wearing of EarplugsWearing earplugs at music concerts is associated with less temporary hearing loss, finds new research from the Netherlands. In a study from the University Medical Center Utrecht, participants who attended an Amsterdam music festival (with an average sound level of 100 dBA) while wearing earplugs had significantly less temporary threshold ...2016-07-01T00:00:00Research in Brief

In a study from the University Medical Center Utrecht, participants who attended an Amsterdam music festival (with an average sound level of 100 dBA) while wearing earplugs had significantly less temporary threshold shift (TTS) and occurrence of tinnitus than their fellow attendees who did not wear hearing protection. The study was published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.

Researchers recruited 51 volunteers with an average age of 27 via social media, and randomly assigned 25 participants to wear earplugs and 26 to wear no hearing protection for 4.5 hours of the outdoor music festival. Audiograms performed after the music exposure showed TTS in 8 percent of the earplug group, compared to 42 percent of the control group. Twelve percent of those wearing earplugs and 40 percent of the unprotected group reported experiencing tinnitus after the festival.

“The present randomized clinical trial [RCT] adds proof to the scarce evidence and knowledge on this topic, which is a growing global problem,” write the researchers, including first-listed author Geerte G. J. Ramakers. “This RCT adds evidence that earplugs are effective in preventing temporary hearing loss during high recreational music levels. Therefore, the use of earplugs should be actively promoted and encouraged to avoid noise-induced hearing loss.”